Responses to Information Requests

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

1. Overview

According to sources, the voter card is [exclusively (Executive Secretary 2024-03-08)] issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (Commission électorale nationale indépendante, CENI) (US n.d.; CDH 2024-03-18; Executive Secretary 2024-03-08). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, an assistant professor at the Van Vollenhoven Institute for Law, Governance and Society at Leiden University in the Netherlands—who conducts research on topics including lawmaking in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and legal identification for internally displaced persons—noted that the CENI operates at the provincial level through secretariats, and through "antennae" at the local level (Assistant Professor 2024-03-13).

Sources state that the card is issued during the registration period that precedes presidential (CDH 2022-08-12) or nationwide elections (US n.d.) or [translation] "at each general electoral cycle during the voter identification and enrolment process" (Executive Secretary 2024-03-08). In a 2022 interview with the Research Directorate, a representative of the Centre for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (Centre des droits de l'homme et du droit humanitaire, CDH), an NGO focused on the promotion and protection of human rights in the DRC (CDH 2024-03-18), noted that the registration period begins [translation] "a few months" before elections (CDH 2022-08-12). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the Executive Secretary of Héritiers de la justice, an organization affiliated with Protestant churches which provides legal, socio-economic, and environmental support to marginalized individuals in the DRC (Executive Secretary 2024-03-08), indicated that enrolment offices are opened in nearly every village or neighborhood, for a duration of one to three months, in order to issue voter cards (Executive Secretary 2024-03-08).

The Executive Secretary of Héritiers de la justice indicated that, as stated on its reverse side, the card is valid for local, municipal, urban, provincial, legislative, and presidential elections (2024-03-08). According to sources, the card is valid until the next national elections (CDH 2024-03-18; US n.d.), which amounts to a five-year period (CDH 2024-03-18). In a 2024 interview with the Research Directorate, the CDH representative added that because a new voter card is issued for each electoral mandate, a voter card can only be used to vote [translation] "in a single presidential, legislative, provincial, national and communal election" (2024-03-18). The Assistant Professor indicated that the 2023 voter card was eligible for use in the 2023 presidential, national, provincial, and local elections, all of which occurred "at the same time" (2024-03-13). The Executive Secretary of Héritiers de la justice noted that the validity of the card is [translation] "unique for all elections in the same cycle," and added that this temporary validity is not listed on the card (2024-03-08). According to the Assistant Professor, in "some areas, territorial elections will take place later and the current cards will be used" (2024-03-13).

The Executive Secretary of Héritiers de la justice stated that [translation] "given the lack of identity document in the country since the end of the Mobutu regime in 1997 and the country's name change, the voter card ... serves as an identity card in the DRC" (2024-03-08). Sources report that the voter card is the only national identity document available in the DRC (US n.d.; CDH 2024-03-18). The CDH representative indicated that a voter card can also support a person's application for a DRC passport and can be [translation] "required" to complete banking transactions, including cash withdrawals (2024-03-18).

1.1 2023 Election

Sources indicate that the DRC's 2023 election was held in December 2023 (Crisis Group 2024-01-26; Al Jazeera 2023-12-31; UN 2024-03-21).

Sources state that many of the 2023 voter cards issued were reported to have printed information which "fade[d] easily" (Assistant Professor 2024-03-13) or became illegible (Crisis Group 2024-01-26; Executive Secretary 2024-03-08), with the Executive Secretary and the Assistant Professor further noting that the issue affected the cardholder photograph (Executive Secretary 2024-03-08; Assistant Professor 2024-03-13). Consequently, the Executive Secretary of Héritiers de la justice added, the CENI attempted to replace illegible cards prior to the December 2023 election; however, [translation] "many people" were unable to obtain a card due to the limited number of offices equipped to issue replacement cards, thereby causing a "further irregularity in the voting process" (2024-03-08).

2. Voter Identification and Registration

Law No. 04/028 of 24 December 2004 Concerning the Identification and Registration of Voters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as Amended and Supplemented by Law No. 16/007 of 29 June 2016 (Loi no 04/028 du 24 décembre 2004 portant identification et enrôlement des électeurs en République démocratique du Congo telle que modifiée et complétée par la Loi no 16/007 du 29 juin 2016) stipulates the following:

[translation]

Article 3:

The Independent National Electoral Commission is the institution responsible for organizing the identification and registration of voters, and for establishing, publishing and updating voter lists.

It sets the start and end dates for these processes and takes all necessary measures to ensure their successful completion.

…

Article 5:

Voter identification and registration operations are carried out at the same time. They take place at the "Registration Centre" (Centre d'Inscription), abbreviated "CI."

…

Article 7:

Voters are identified and registered at the Registration Centre in the jurisdiction where their principal residence is located.

However, an individual who is outside the jurisdiction where their principal residence is located may identify themselves and register at the Registration Centre where their temporary residence is located.

Jurisdiction of residence refers to the territory covered by the Registration Centre that includes the place of residence of the person to be identified and registered.

…

Article 21:

The Registration Centre is the operational structure responsible for receiving voter candidates for the purpose of identifying and registering them. It issues the voter card. (DRC 2016, bold in original; references omitted)

The CDH representative indicated in their 2022 interview with the Research Directorate that the CENI issues replacement voter cards (2022-08-12). Sources contacted by the Research Directorate in 2024 indicated that CENI does not issue replacement cards at all times (Executive Secretary 2024-03-08; Assistant Professor 2024-03-13), and the Assistant Professor added that there are "set periods" in which a person can replace a lost card, after which time the offices are closed again (2024-03-13). The Assistant Professor noted that during the 2023 election cycle, CENI offices equipped to issue replacement cards were reopened "only shortly" before the voter enrolment period began and had been closed for "about 2 years" prior to that (2024-03-13).

Sources reported that to obtain a replacement card, an applicant must obtain a [translation] "certificate of lost document" from the Congolese National Police (Police nationale congolaise, PNC) (Executive Secretary 2024-03-08) or "an attest[ation]" from a judicial police officer (officier de police judiciaire) which states that the voter card has been lost (Assistant Professor 2024-03-13). Applicants must also pay a fee of US$5 to obtain this certificate from the police (Executive Secretary 2024-03-08; Assistant Professor 2024-03-13). The CDH representative stated to the Research Directorate in 2024 that those seeking to replace a lost voter card must first report the loss at a police station, after which the police [translation] "can send" the person to the CENI registration centre to obtain a replacement card which will bear the same information as the lost original card, including the photograph and digital fingerprints previously captured (2024-03-18). The same source added that when seeking a replacement card, an applicant does not need to have new photograph or digital fingerprints captures, as that information already exists in their [translation] "digital file" in "the CENI system" (CDH 2024-03-18). An article by Deutsche Welle (DW), an international media outlet based in Germany, cites reports from two individuals in the central-Congolese city of Mbuji-Mayi who sought to obtain a replacement voter card and were confronted with unexpected fees; one individual noted that a judicial police officer asked him for 10,000 Congolese francs (CDF) [C$ 4.90], and another was asked by their commune to pay CDF 5,000 [C$ 2.45] to 10,000 (2023-12-18).

2.1 Voter Registration from Abroad, 2023

According to sources, ahead of the December 2023 election and for the first time ever, the CENI enabled DRC nationals living abroad in the US, Canada, France, Belgium, and South Africa to register to vote in the presidential election (Executive Secretary 2024-03-08; Assistant Professor 2024-03-13). The CDH representative stated that individuals voting from those countries could vote by [translation] "going to the embassy with their passport," and added that to obtain a voter card, a person still had to be physically present in the DRC since cards are "only issued to people living in the DRC" (2024-03-18). In contrast, the Executive Secretary of Héritiers de la justice stated that eligible citizens in the 5 countries were issued voter cards by the CENI in order to take part in the vote and added that [translation] "this operation took place only on the premises of the DRC embassies there"; individuals enrolled were "those with Congolese consular papers" (2024-03-08). The Assistant Professor stated that individuals registering to vote from abroad needed to demonstrate proof of residence abroad, in addition to a document proving their identity, which in this case was either a passport or consular card (2024-03-13). Corroborating information on the eligibility and requirements to obtain a voter card abroad could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

3. Requirements and Procedures for Obtaining or Replacing the Voter Card

Law No. 04/028 stipulates the following:

[translation]

Article 8:

To be registered on the voter list, [an individual] must meet the following conditions:

1. be a Congolese national;
2. be 18 years of age on the date of the last election of the electoral cycle;
3. be in the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the time of identification and registration;
4. be eligible for civil and political rights.

However, a Congolese person living abroad who meets the conditions set out at points 2 and 4 of the previous paragraph and who holds a valid identity card or passport may identify themselves and register at the registration centre in the embassy or consulate in their place of residence.

A Congolese person living in a country where the Democratic Republic of the Congo does not have diplomatic or consular representation may identify themselves and register at a registration centre near their place of residence.

Article 9:

The following persons may not be registered on the voter list:

1. Persons with complete mental incapacity that is medically proven;
2. Persons deprived, by an irrevocable judicial decision, of their civil and political rights;
3. Serving soldiers and police officers.

Article 10:

To verify the voter's identity and age, consideration will be given to one of the following documents:

1. Birth certificate, a certified true copy, an extract or an affidavit in place of a birth certificate issued by the competent jurisdiction;
2. Certificate of nationality or attestation in lieu;
3. 2010-2011 voter card issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission;
4. Valid Congolese passport;
5. Valid national driver's licence;
6. Valid student card;
7. Order from the President of the Republic conferring citizenship by naturalization;
8. Congolese pension booklet issued by the public agency responsible for social security.

If none of these documents can be provided, consideration will be given to a written statement from three individuals of the age of majority who are already registered on the voter list at the same Registration Centre, countersigned, free of charge, by the district or village chief where the centre is located.

However, a Congolese person living abroad who applies for identification and registration must present one of the following documents:

1. Valid Congolese passport;
2. Consular card.

Each of the documents listed above must be presented together with either a valid residency card or attestation, or a valid residence permit. (DRC 2016, bold in original; references omitted)

According to sources, voter cards are issued free of charge by the CENI (US n.d.; CDH 2022-08-12; Executive Secretary 2022-08-12). According to the US Reciprocity Schedule, the voter card is obtained by filling out an application form and going to the nearest CENI office with proof of identity, such as old photo identity documents, or two witnesses with valid national identity documents (US n.d.). The same source states that the voter card is printed on the spot after a photograph is taken (US n.d.). The CDH representative indicated that the procedure is different for those obtaining a card for the first time, and those who are seeking to make alterations to an existing card (2024-03-18). Those obtaining a card for the first time can present their proof of birth or a student card, while those seeking to [translation] "change" or "renew" their card will need to have their photograph and digital fingerprints recaptured and will need to surrender their previous voter card (CDH 2024-03-18). According to the Assistant Professor, to register a voter card, authorities collect from applicants their fingerprints, photograph, signature, and an "iris scan" (2024-03-13).

The Executive Secretary of Héritiers de la justice noted that applicants arriving at an enrolment office can present a previous voter registration card, or a replacement card that they obtained during the previous electoral cycle (2024-03-08). The same source added that those who do not possess, or who have lost, a previous voter card, must present [translation] their "valid national DRC passport, their valid driver's license or student card, or their proof of birth" (Executive Secretary 2024-03-08). Applicants who do not have a passport or a driver's license must bring three witnesses who have already enrolled at the same office and to attest that the applicant is a DRC national and is of age (Executive Secretary 2024-03-08). The Assistant Professor noted that while witnesses were supposed to be present with the applicant at the electoral office, in practice, local chiefs "often simply signed written declarations" and did not appear in-person, as this would have compelled them to "spend days on end at these offices" (2024-03-13).

The Assistant Professor stated that they were aware of cases in which a person used "inappropriate documents" as proof of identity to obtain a voter card, but noted that some such cases were "examples of people who adjust the system to make it work in the way it is supposed to work"; for example, people who turned 18 years of age during the election cycle in possession of a student/pupil card lacking a photograph, were "often" permitted to provide such cards to CENI officials as proof of identity, even though such cards are "supposed" to contain a photograph (2024-03-13).

According to the Assistant Professor, to obtain a 2023 voter card at a CENI office ahead of the 2023 election, "[m]ost" people used their 2018 voter card to prove their identity (2024-03-13). However, the same source added that the following could also be used to prove one's identity in completion of voter registration:

• passport;
• driver's license;
• social security card;
• pension book (livret) provided by the National Social Security Institute (Institut national de sécurité sociale);
• presidential order conferring nationality by naturalization;
• testimony of three witnesses, including one local state authority;
• student/pupil cards from school (for people who turned 18 during the last electoral cycle); alternatively, such people can "resort to witnesses" (2024-03-13).

The Assistant Professor provided the following information regarding voter registration for the 2023 election:

Within the DRC, people could obtain a voter card during the electoral registration period, which ran from December 2022 to June 2023, with different provinces covered during different months. In the east for instance, registration took place from February-May 2023.

No electoral registration took place in Masisi and Rutshuru territories in North Kivu province, in Kwamouth, in Mai-Ndombe province, and in part of the commune Maluku in Kinshasa due to insecurity. People in these areas were not able to obtain a voter card, nor could they participate in the elections. (2024-03-13)

According to an International Crisis Group (Crisis Group) report, the March 23 Movement (M23)—a "rebel military group mainly made up of ethnic Tutsis that broke away from the Congolese army" over 10 years ago (AP 2024-02-19)—"refused to allow" CENI to register voters in areas under its control, which is "most of North Kivu"; this prevented "more than a million" people from participating in the election (2024-01-26). The same source adds that other people were unable to participate in the election due to being displaced by fighting which preceded, and continued throughout, the election (2024-01-26). A report by the Secretary-General on the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo notes that because of the security situation, national elections did not take place in the territories of Masisi, Rutshuru (North Kivu) and Kwamouth (Mai-Ndombe) (UN 2024-03-21, 1).

When asked if they were aware of instances of an ineligible person obtaining and successfully voting with a genuine voter card, the CDH representative noted that during the 2023 election, CENI identified individuals [translation] "who had registered to vote twice in two different CENI centres"; such individuals, however, were successfully discovered by authorities "thanks to the digital fingerprints on the card," a security feature which "makes it easy to identify fraudsters" (2024-03-18). When asked the same question, the Assistant Professor cited their findings working with a team of Congolese researchers on voter registration in the DRC, and provided the following:

Yes, our team has knowledge of quite a number of cases of persons who were ineligible for a voter card but nevertheless obtained such a card. This was usually done by mobilising three witnesses to testify about one's identity. In most cases, such efforts were motivated by very pragmatic reasons: people living across the border in Rwanda wanting to have a Congolese voter card—as a token ID card—to be able to cross the border more smoothly, or youngsters under the age of 18 wanting to obtain a card, because they know they'll otherwise be in a legal limbo —without a proof of identity once they end schooling during the upcoming electoral cycle etc. The same applies to parents who want to see their under-age daughters getting married. Because this is only allowed from the age of 18 onwards, they make sure their daughters are registered…In most of these cases, people only care about obtaining the voter card as an identity card but do not care about the actual voting. (2024-03-13)

4. Features of the Voter Card

Sources indicated that voter cards issued across the country for the same election period are [translation] "identical" (Executive Secretary 2024-03-08; CDH 2024-03-18).

4.1 The 2023 Voter Card

The CDH representative indicated that voter cards were last issued at the end of December 2023 (2024-03-18). Sources reported that the 2023 voter card is the same nationwide (Assistant Professor 2024-03-13; Secretary General 2024-03-11). Sources report that the voter card is blue (US n.d.; CDH 2024-03-18). The CDH representative noted that the card contains the following fields:

• Number;
• Sex;
• Surname and post-name (post-nom);
• First name;
• Date of birth;
• Address;
• Village of origin;
• Province of origin;
• Territory of origin;
• Father's name;
• Mother's name;
• Signature;
• Date and Place of issuance (2024-03-18).

The CDH representative indicated that the term [translation] "origin," as it appears on the voter card, refers to the cardholder's place of birth, including the "town, commune, and/or sector where the cardholder was born" (2024-03-18).

When asked about the meaning of the "CI Code" that appears on the card, the CDH representative stated that this refers to [translation] "the number of the enrolment centre or card issuing office" (2024-03-18).

According to the Executive Secretary of Héritiers de la justice, all the voter cards for the 2023 election cycle display a QR code in addition to information concerning the cardholder's identity, and the front side of the card lists the place and date of issuance, as well as the name and signature of the head of the enrolment office issuing the card (2024-03-08). The CDH representative noted that the data contained in a digital code on the card correspond with the cardholder's digital fingerprints obtained at the time of registration (2024-03-18).

A sample of the 2023 version of the voter card was provided to the Research Directorate by the Executive Secretary of Héritiers de la justice and is attached to this Response (Attachment 1).

4.2 Versions Issued Prior to the 2023 Election Cycle

The CDH representative stated in the 2022 interview with the Research Directorate that only one version of the voter card was issued in 2016-2017 and it was still valid at the time of the national elections held in 2018 (2022-08-12). The Executive Secretary of Héritiers de la justice also indicated that this version of the card was [translation] "the only one" at the time (2022-08-12). The CDH representative, consulting a voter card sample issued in January 2017, stated that the text on the voter card is black against a sky-blue background (unlike the previous card, which had a red background) and contains the following visible features:

• the phrases "République démocratique du Congo" (Democratic Republic of the Congo), "Commission électorale nationale indépendante" and "carte d'électeur" (voter card) written at the top of the card;
• the code and name of the registration centre;
• the holder's [translation] "national number";
• information on the holder's civil status: last name, first name or "post-name," date and place of birth, sex, father's and mother's names;
• the holder's current place of residence: sector/chiefdom/commune, territory/city and province;
• the holder's place of origin: sector/chiefdom/commune, territory/city and province;
• serial number of the card;
• place and date of issue
• name and signature of the CENI employee who issued the card;
• CENI barcode; and
• CENI emblem (DRC flag and map) as a watermark (CDH 2022-08-12).

The same source stated that the security features of the voter card are the barcode, the signature of the government official who issued the card, and the CENI watermark, as well as the holder's photograph and fingerprint (CDH 2022-08-12).

The Executive Secretary of Héritiers de la justice noted the following information about the registration process:

[translation]

In the lead-up to the 2018 elections ... the voter list was gradually updated in the provinces. This process began in 2016 and ended in 2017.

… [B]ecause of the relatively long period of time between when voters were registered and when the elections were held, a significant number of people had lost their card. They were given replacement cards. (Executive Secretary 2022-08-12)

Sources note that during the 2016–2017 registration period, individuals who were at least 16 years of age were allowed to register (Radio Okapi 2017-02-09; Executive Secretary 2022-08-12), [translation] "with the view that [16- and 17-year-olds] would have reached the age of majority" at the time of the 2018 elections (Executive Secretary 2022-08-12).

A sample of a voter card (issued in 2017), sent to the Research Directorate by the Executive Secretary of Héritiers de la justice, is attached to this Response (Attachment 2).

5. Document Fraud Related to the Voter Card

In the 2022 interview with the Research Directorate, the CDH representative indicated that document fraud related to the voter card is [translation] "widespread" in the DRC because the document is [translation] "very easy" to reproduce (2022-08-12). The same source stated that these falsified voter cards are produced either in cybercafés for lower-quality documents or in secret print shops run by counterfeiting networks for high-quality imitations that resemble a genuine card (CDH 2022-08-12). Without providing further details, the Executive Secretary of Héritiers de la justice also stated that, according to [translation] "several sources," the false voter cards in circulation are produced

• in conjunction with "certain dishonest [CENI] agents";
• through "counterfeiting carried out by pirate IT shops (services)";
• using "CENI equipment stolen from certain territories during and after past elections." (2022-08-12)

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the Secretary General of the Coalition of Volunteers for Peace and Development (Coalition des volontaires pour la paix et le développement, CVPD), an NGO focused on protecting human rights in the DRC (CVPD n.d.), indicated that those suspected of producing fraudulent voter cards include [translation] "certain CENI agents and groups of bandits and unidentified counterfeiters who often reside in the working-class districts of DRC cities" (2024-03-11).

In the 2024 interview, the CDH representative noted that [translation] "pirated" cards are not identical to genuine cards, and can be identified by the digital fingerprints, the card's format, and its colour (2024-03-18). The same source added that [translation] "experts, immigration officers and other security services can easily identify fraudulent cards by verifying the digital fingerprints" (CDH 2024-03-18).

The information in the following two paragraphs was provided by the CDH representative to the Research Directorate in 2022:

People who were minors at the time of the last elections and who have since become adults and do not attend an academic institution may turn to counterfeiters to obtain a fraudulent voter card in order to have an identity document when one is required by government representatives, including law enforcement. A genuine voter card may also be issued [translation] "illegally" by the authorities, like the 2016 case where, in certain villages of North Katanga, cards were given to minors, especially 16- or 17-year-olds.

Due to a lack of resources, the government has not implemented "any specific measures" to combat voter card fraud. The "majority" of government services, including the police, are unable to differentiate between fraudulent cards produced by high-quality secret printers and genuine voter cards. Only immigration officers are capable of detecting this type of fraudulent card. However, when the authorities catch someone using a fraudulent card, they "try" to conduct an investigation in order to dismantle the secret print shops that were used. Counterfeiters and users of fraudulent voter cards are also "sometimes" prosecuted in court under the Criminal Code (Code pénal) provisions on counterfeiting. Punishments may be as much as three years in prison (CDH 2022-08-12). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Al Jazeera. 2023-12-31. "Tshisekedi Re-Elected DR Congo President as Opposition Calls Vote a 'Farce.'" [Accessed 2024-03-26]

Assistant Professor, Leiden University, the Netherlands. 2024-03-13. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Associated Press (AP). 2024-02-19. Gerald Imray. "What's Happening in Eastern Congo and Why Aid Groups Are Warning of a New Humanitarian Crisis." [Accessed 2024-04-01]

Centre des droits de l'homme et du droit humanitaire (CDH). 2024-03-18. Interview with a representative.

Centre des droits de l'homme et du droit humanitaire (CDH). 2022-08-12. Interview with a representative.

Coalition des volontaires pour la paix et le développement (CVPD). N.d. "À propos." [Accessed 2024-03-12]

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 2016. Loi no 04/028 du 24 décembre 2004 portant identification et enrôlement des électeurs en République démocratique du Congo telle que modifiée et complétée par la Loi no 16/007 du 29 juin 2016. [Accessed 2022-08-12]

Deutsche Welle (DW). 2023-12-18. Emmanuel Kalonji. "RDC : le casse-tête des duplicatas de cartes électorales." [Accessed 2024-04-11]

Executive Secretary, Héritiers de la justice. 2024-03-08. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

Executive Secretary, Héritiers de la justice. 2022-08-18. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

International Crisis Group (Crisis Group). 2024-01-26. Richard Moncrieff & Onesphore Sematumba. "DR Congo: A Full Plate of Challenges After a Turbulent Vote." [Accessed 2024-03-26]

Radio Okapi. 2017-02-09. "Que faire en cas de perte de la nouvelle carte d'électeur?" [Accessed 2022-09-28]

Secretary General, Coalition des volontaires pour la paix et le développement (CVPD). 2024-03-11. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

United Nations (UN). 2024-03-21. Security Council. Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [Accessed 2024-04-15]

United States (US). N.d. Department of State. "Democratic Republic of the Congo Reciprocity Schedule." [Accessed 2024-03-21]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Les Anges du ciel; attorney and law faculty instructor at a Congolese university; Avocats sans frontières; Barreau de Kinshasa; Barreau de Mbandaka; Caucus des femmes; Collectif des organisations des jeunes solidaires du Congo-Kinshasa; Comité national femme et développement; Democratic Republic of Congo – Embassy in Ottawa; Human Rescue/DRC; Kivu Rise; law firms in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (4); Ligue des droits de la personne dans la région des Grands Lacs; Ligue pour la paix et les droits de l'homme; Ligue pour la paix, les droits de l'homme et la justice; Programme d'appui aux actions féminines; Réseau des femmes pour un développement associatif; Toges noires; Voix des sans-voix pour les droits de l'homme; Women as Partners for Peace in Africa.

Internet sites, including: Amnesty International; Australia – Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Austrian Red Cross – ecoi.net; L'Avenir; BBC; Belgium – Commissariat général aux réfugiés et aux apatrides; La Conscience; EU – EU Agency for Asylum, European Anti-Fraud Office; Factiva; France – Office français de protection des réfugiés et apatrides; Freedom House; Human Rights Watch; Minority Rights Group International; Le Phare; La Prospérité; RDC-EVEIL; Transparency International; UK – Home Office; UN – Human Rights Council, International Organization for Migration, Refworld; US – CIA; Voice of America.

Attachments

1. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 2023. Sample of a voter card. Sent to the Research Directorate by the Executive Secretary of Héritiers de la justice, 2024-03-08. Translated into English by the Research Directorate.
2. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 2017. Sample of a voter card. Sent to the Research Directorate by the Executive Secretary of Héritiers de la justice, 2022-08-18. Translated into English by the Research Directorate.